Sleigh-knee



(No Model.)

H. P. TITUS.

SLEIGI-I KNEE.

Patented May 22 54AM/tom.

HERMAN PR-ESCOTT TITUS, OF LSBON, NE\V HAMPSHIRE.

SLEIGl-lmKNEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,259, dated May 22,1888.

Application filed January 25,1888. Serial No. 261,870. (No model.)

T all zzz/"tom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, HERMAN Penseorr TI'rUs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lisbon, in the county of Grafton and State ofNewHampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in SleiglrKnees, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sleigh-knees; and it has for itsobjects to provide means whereby the runnerl is allowed both a rocking,to enable it to accommodate itself to the uneven surface over which ittravels, and a horizontal rotary movement to prevent a lateral strainfrom straining the connections of the ruimer to the sled.

A further object in providing the said rotary movement is to enable onerunner to be started in advance of the other, when, by rea son ofthesled having been in one place for a considerable tinie,the runners arefrozen to the surface of t-he snow or ice.

The improved knee consists, mainly, of a casting which is mounted on avertical shaft which is socketed at its lower end in the runner, a strapwhich passes over the casting and is secured at its ends to the runner,and a plate which is secured to the underside ofthe bolster and ismounted on lateral trunnions at the upper end of the casting.

The details of construction of this invention are more fully describedhereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings7 wherein-Figurel is a side view of a portion of a sled, showing the improvedknee. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line rv :r of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the plate which is secured tothe under sideof the bolster. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the casting.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A desi gnates the runner, having asocket, a, therein, and B designates a vertical shaft which is mountedat its lower end in this socket. The under side ofthe bolster C isprovided with a recess, c, in which the upper end of the shaft B isloosely mounted. A plate, D, is secured to the under side of thebolster, and it is provided with the bearings E, for a purpose to bedescribed.

On the vertical shaft above mentioned is mounted a casting, G, which isprovided with the verticallyaligned bearings g g, and horizontal lateraltrunnions H H at the upper end of the casting are mounted in thebearings E on the plate D.

K represents a metal strap which passes over the upper end of thecasting beneath the plate D, and is secured atits ends tothe upper sideof the runner. rlhe upper end of the casting is rounded to form a smoothbearingsurface for the strap, and the center of the strap is providedwith a bearing, It', to receive the vertical shaft.

It will be observed that the vertical shaft is mounted loosely insockets in the runner and bolster, so that either or both may turnfreely thereon, and the casting, which is mounted on the said shaft, isprovided with trunnions at its upper end which are mounted in suitablebearings on the bolster. This prevents the casting from rotating on thesaid shaft independent of the bolster, but does not prevent the runnerfrom rotating on the lower end of the shaft. t

The strap K,which is attached at its ends to the ruimer', passes overthe upper end of the casting and under the plate on the bolster,

which forms the bearings for the casting, and

an opening which is formed in the said strap embraces the shaft. Theadjacent ends of the trunnions H H form shoulders on the upper side oft-he plate at the Lipper end of the easting, which shoulders arearranged on opposite sides of the strap; but there is sufficient spacebetween the shoulders and the edges of the strap, as shown in thedrawings, to allow the strap to swing around the shaft as a center.Obviously as the strap is attached at its ends to the runner it mustmove withthe runner, and therefore when the runner is rotated around thelower end of the shaft the strap is rotated around the upper end of theshaft between the upper end of the casting and the plate on the bolster.

It will be readily seen that this rotary rnc tion of the runner does notinterfere with the rocking motion thereof by reason ofthe trunnions onthe upper end of the casting turning in the bearings on the bolster.

It will be seen from the above description that all the parts of theknee are held together by the strap K, as the vertical shaft is straightand is not headed in either the bolster or run ner, and therefore todetach the runner from the sled detach the ends ofthe strap from therunner, remove the runner from the lower end of the shaft, remove theshaft, (which may now be drawn straight out,) and remove the casting bymoving itinward sufficiently to disengage the shorter trunnion from itsbearing, the inner and longer trunnion being mounted near its end in thebearing, in order to allow the casting to be moved inward, in the mannerdescribed. When the shaft is in place, the casting cannot be movedlaterally, as is evident.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. rlhe combination, withabolster having bearings on its lower side, of the casting havingtrunnions mounted in the bearings and the runner pivotally attached tothe lower end of the casting, whereby a horizontal rotary motion isallowed the runner, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the vertical shaft mounted at opposite ends inbearings iu the runner and bolster, and the casting mounted on the saidshaft and pivoted at its upper end to the bolster, whereby a rocking anda rotary motion are allowed the runner, substantially as specified.

3. The combination ot the plate secured to the under side of the bolsterand having bear- 3o ings thereon, the Vertical shaft mounted at itslower end in a socket in the runner and at its upper end in a socket inthe bolster, and the casting mounted on the vertical shaft and havinglateral trunnions operating in the bearings on the said plate,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a sleigh knee, the combination ofthe plate secured to the bolster,the vertical shaft mounted in sockets in the runner and bolster, thecasting mounted on the said shaft and having trunnions on its upper endwhich are mounted in bearings on the said plate, and the strap passingover the casting and attached at its ends to the runner, substantiallyas specilied.

5. The combination,with the ruimer, of the casting mounted on a verticalspindle on the runner, and the bolster pivoted to the upper end of thecasting, substantially as speeilied. u

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

HERMAN PRESCO'IT TITUS.

Witnesses:

A. A. WooLsoN, F. It. C-LoUGH.

